Soundlazer VR - Surround yourself in a virtual sound cloud

$68,734

246

Surround yourself in a virtual cloud of sound at home or office. Listen to music without disturbing others.

Release yourself from wires and uncomfortable headphones. This is a completely new type of listening experience!

Think of the Soundlazer VR as the Virtual Reality of Sound. You can immerse yourself in an organic, floating personal cloud of sound without disturbing the people around you. This virtual sound is in a spherical area below the Soundlazer VR with audio that is over four times louder than everywhere else in the room. When you position your head in this cloud, the sound is clear, vibrant and has stereo reproduction that is only normally experienced while wearing headphones.

The Soundlazer VR uses planar wave technology to create a cloud of sound around you.

Available in a junior desktop size.

The Soundlazer VR uses planar wave technology along with a unique physical design to focus high quality audio where you want it. The Soundlazer VR creates a pleasing, high quality listening environment by delivering low pressure, focused, full range sound directly to your ears. Other people in the room will no longer be disturbed when you watch videos or listen to music. You can experience full range private sound without wearing cumbersome and uncomfortable headphones.

Full range 150Hz - 20,000Hz frequency response.

A revolution in home and office listening technology.

Immerse your desk in high quality, ultra clear sound.

Eliminates fatigue and stress on your ears caused by headphones and loud speakers.

Reduces the amount of noise distraction to your coworkers.

Enjoy a much more pleasing audio experience.

No more headphones means you can still hear other people!

Use multiple units at all your desks, tables and other areas in any room.

Hang over all the TVs in you office lobby or product displays to deliver unique, captivating messages.

Place the Sounlazer Junior on a desk or mount it to any wall where you want to beam high quality directional audio.

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We visited Make in LA and Hexlab Makerspace to see what other makers thought of Soundlazer VR. And yes, they have a fire truck for all of those hackerspace emergencies! If you are in the Los Angeles area, be sure to visit us there.

Also be sure to check out Katie Ferrara's new album Dream Catcher that we used during testing. It is here on Kickstarter.

As with all my projects, I try to bring you new, never before explored applications of technology. The Soundlazer VR is another "first" and I think you are going to love it. In fact, the technology is so new that we were able to apply for a patent. By protecting our discoveries, we can ensure that backers are going to receive the best quality products that deliver the highest fidelity directional sound possible.

Hang a Soundlazer VR over every desk in the office. Now you will be able to listen to music or watch videos on your computer without disturbing your fellow coworkers. The elegant and modern design fits in any office decor. Installation is easy using the unique wire hanging system. Height is adjustable via a simple spring loaded cable locking mechanism. Power is delivered via the steel hanging cables so that no wires are visible.

Use multiple Soundlazer VRs in an office to reduce distractions from computer audio.

As I write this Kickstarter page, I am sitting at my desk playing music under the Soundlazer VR and the experience is nothing like I have enjoyed before. The music (Coldplay) I am listening to is 12dB-15dB louder than everywhere else in the room. The sound is literally falling down on me and focused right at my ears. It is clear, pleasing and overall a very different experience than wearing headphones or listening through TV monitor speakers. Yes, it still can be heard in the room but more as background noise that doesn't interfere with the other people around me. My coworkers in other parts of the office have no idea how loud I am really playing my music.

Richard Haberkern, Inventer of the Soundlazer VR.

The bigger hanging units create a more immersive experience but we understand that these may not be a good fit for every application. For this reason, we created the junior desktop model. The junior offers high quality directional sound while minimizing the disruption of others around you. It simply sits on your desk and beams audio directly to your ears.

Sit under the Soundlazer VR and you will suddenly have sound appearing to come from all around you. The stereo sound has been shaped and focused to merge right at the point where your ears are located below the audio beam. This innovative approach results in the highest fidelity audio in directional speaker technology ever created.

High frequency sounds like drum symbols, chimes and other audio appears to emanate in the space all around your head. If you move your head in out out of the beam, the difference is very obvious as you leave the point of focused sound. We have designed the shape of the reflector and the size of the planar arrays for exactly the right amount of area with focused audio thus eliminating the disturbing room noise that is emitted from standard speaker systems.

The audio quality reproduced by the Soundlazer VR is comparable to many high end speaker systems except that the sound does not fill the room. The video below shows the raw output from the Soundlazer VR without any equalization or post processing added. You can clearly see the audio spectrum starting out at around 150Hz and flattening out around 500Hz. The high frequencies begin to drop around 14kHz and fall off at around 20Khz which is well beyond most people's hearing. If we wanted add a bit of equalization, we could get a very nice, flat overall response. It's a matter of preference but we think the Soundlazer VR sounds great out of the box and this test proves it!

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The video above was shot in our lab using a reference microphone and True Audio's spectrum analyzer software. We generated pink noise through the Soundlazer VR and recorded its frequency response. The results clearly show the high quality sound waves that are reproduced by the Soundlazer VR.

Think of planar wave arrays as a bunch of tiny speakers aligned in perfectly straight lines. Each individual speaker produces a small amount of sound but when all of them are combined together, they create a substantially louder audio source.

In the case of our directional speakers, we are not interested in creating sound that is too loud because we don't want to disturb others. In this situation, we keep all these tiny point sources of audio separated and then direct them into a concentrated area right at the listener's ears. If we were to install multiple Soundlazer VRs in the same room, we could deliver specific messages to different areas of the room at the same time.

Focus audio to specific people in any room.

Designed and built with styling in mind, the Soundlazer VR fits beautifully into any environment. Not just for personal listening at the office, the Soundlazer VR is the perfect choice for trade shows, multimedia displays, aquariums, art galleries or anywhere you want to deliver a clear, focused message to specific people throughout a room or in public areas.

Deliver different messages to each person within any space.

If you hang the Soundlazer VR just two to four feet (60 cm - 120 cm) over a individual's head, they will be immersed in a focused beam of clear, crisp and personal sound. Others around them will hear little or no sound depending on how loud you turn up the volume. In most cases, just a whisper of volume out of the speaker arrays is enough for people to have a great audio experience.

Office noises coming from coworkers, phones, printers and other sources can be a huge distraction and makes for an unpleasant working environment. By injecting pink noise or natural background sounds via bluetooth into the Soundlazer VR, you can mask many of these annoying noises and improve your productivity. We have tested this concept and find that the sounds of nature like the ocean, dog parks, gardens and other outdoor areas can reduce office noise distraction dramatically.

The Soundrown website has great masking soundtracks to use with the Soundlazer VR. The directional and focused output of the Soundlazer VR means that you won't be disturbed by noises in the room and your coworkers won't be bothered by your choice of masking sounds.

In our opinion, sound masking works better with a Soundlazer VR than any other method like laptop speakers or headphones. You can decide for yourself by becoming a Soundlazer VR backer NOW!

Sometimes, the simplest solutions can offer the best results. Using a parabolic reflector to focus sound is not a new concept or idea. In fact, there are many, although expensive, parabolic directional audio systems already on the market. Our unique twist and drastic improvement was to develop planar wave drivers and combine them with a linear reflector. This approach gives the Soundlazer VR a pleasing, unobtrusive design while maintaining the tightest, ultra high bandwidth directional audio beam possible.

Two channels of audio delivers directional stereo sound.

If you Google "Dome Shaped Directional Speakers" you will see that they are expensive, bulky and when used in public areas, distract the audience from the artwork, display or objects being viewed. They are also not very practical to hang above your desk. A good design should never take the attention away from the message being delivered. Not only are dome speakers ugly to look at, they lack the fidelity and correct beam focus that is now achievable with our planar array technology.

We think our design is so good that everyone in your office will want their own Soundlazer VR! You can even use them at home above your desk. If other members of your household are tired of hearing your all night gaming sessions, simply hang a Soundlazer VR over your sofa for a private but much more exciting gaming experience.

By directing the sound over the players heads, other people in the house will no longer be annoyed!

This is not your average directional speaker. Parametric speakers like the Soundlazer SL-01 have specific niche markets and are very good at delivering targeted messages to listeners. Unfortunately, parametric speakers that use ultrasonic energy lack the frequency range needed for playing video games, experiencing VR or watching television. Soundlazer VR's new planar wave technology solves the shortcomings of parametric speakers and delivers you ultra high quality directional audio.

Thanks to Kickstarter and backers like you, Soundlazer is now a market leader in directional sound. We have spent years developing our technology and no other products on the market will deliver ultra high quality directional sound like the new Soundlazer VR. We have listened to our customers and use this information to design a product that they wanted.

Full range stereo frequency response of 150Hz-20kHz.

Bluetooth audio input.

Quality audiophile grade wood enclosure.

Hidden power wires.

Modern design that fits into any home or office environment.

A unique and immersive listening experience.

Enjoy your own personal sound space while at home or the office.

By using the knowledge we gained from all our previous projects, we have developed what we think is the ultimate in directional audio technology. Once you experience the audio quality of Soundlazer VR, you will never want to listen through desktop speakers again.

Listen to music, audio books or watch TV without disrupting others in the house.

We have many versions of the Soundlazer VR on the drawing board but decided to keep things simple for this exciting Kickstarter release. The first to be released Soundlazer VRs come with Bluetooth and a two channel stereo amplifier built in. Power is supplied via a standard 120/240VAC universal power adapter.

Closeup of hanging cable which supports the Soundlazer VR and delivers DC power.

Power for both the bluetooth module and audio power amplifier are delivered via the wire hanging cables. Installation is easy and the height of the Soundlazer VR can be changed quickly via the spring loaded hangers. The VR Junior has a unique swivel system that allows the listener to adjust the tilt of the audio beam.

If we pointed the audio beam horizontally in any direction, it will fill the room and reduce the effect of the directional high quality audio. By hanging the speaker system from above, we point the wave guides in a downward direction which gives us the ability to create a virtual cloud of immersive sound. The Soundlazer Junior can be placed on a desk to point audio directly at your ears but make sure there isn't anyone behind you that might be disturbed by the focused beam if sound. We personally prefer the full sized or compact hanging Soundlazer VRs but the choice is up to you. All the new Soundlazer VR models work great and deliver high quality directional audio.

The Soundlazer VR Junior can also be mounted to a wall over pictures or TV monitors.

Planar array speakers deliver very consistent sound waves over long distances. By bouncing the sound off of reflectors and focusing the audio beam, we deliver a pleasing audio experience never available before. Fatigue on the listener's ears is virtually eliminated and the sound does not travel as far in the room.

Soundlazer VR's patent pending technology is a truly innovative directional audio technology. We weren't going for a totally isolated listening experience. Instead, we decided to focus high quality audio directly to the listener's ears. Other areas of the room can still hear the sound if it is turned up too loud but it is more of a background noise. The focused area below the curved surface of the reflector offers vibrant stereo audio reproduction that is louder and much clearer than other parts of the room.

Binaural audio recordings use two microphones embedded in silicone ears arranged in a way that the intent is to create a more natural 3-D stereo sound. This old recording method is becoming popular with the interest in virtual reality and the need for more immersive sound.

A pair of headphones is no longer needed to experience the wonders of binaural audio when listened through the Soundlazer VR.

Good sound reproduction comes from using the highest quality materials for the Soundlazer VR acoustic chamber. Like a fine instrument, the Soundlazer VR has been engineered to produce the richest, highest quality directional audio possible.

Each Soundlazer VR starts life as a single piece of wood that is cut to size on a large industrial CNC router. The wood is then sanded and stained by hand like any fine piece of furniture or high end speaker system. The electronics, sound reflector and other hardware are then added to complete the assembly.

Each Soundlazer VR starts with a selection of the finest wood to accurately reproduce sound.

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Video of three Soundlazer VRs being cut from a solid block of Alder wood.

*due to the directional nature of the audio, bass frequencies can not be reproduced. Low frequencies are not directional and can not be controlled in a linear fashion. With >150Hz response, we can reproduce clear, crisp sounds while maintaining directional audio. Due to the organic nature of the sound produced by the Soundlazer VR, lower frequency sound reproduction is not necessary for an enjoyable experience.

Compact 18" (46 cm) and full size 24" (61 cm) versions available. There is also a desktop (junior size) model.

The Soundlazer Junior will look great on any desk or table.

FAQs

Q: Can the audio played through the Soundlazer VR be heard by other people?

A: Yes but at a much lower volume level. 12dB-15dB (4-5 times) lower to be exact. In addition, the sound emanating from the Soundlazer VR is a diffused, organic sound that some describe as feeling like you are outdoors while hearing birds and other noises in the air. It is a very pleasing experience for the listener and those around the room.

Q: Do I have to hang the Soundlazer VR over my head?

A: You can point the Soundlazer VR in any direction but down towards the ground will avoid any sound waves reflecting off the walls and other objects in the room. The Junior is designed to sit on a desk and can be adjusted to aim the beam at any angle you prefer. The full size and compact Soundlazer VRs are designed to hang above the listener from the ceiling and give the best results due to the virtual cloud of sound forming below.

Q: Can I use more than one Soundlazer VR in a room?

A: Yes, use as many as you like. Just be sure not to turn them up too loud and remember the stereo sound is focused at around two to four feet (60 cm - 120 cm) below the speaker array. That is where the best experience occurs. You should space each Soundlazer VR at least (8) eight feet apart.

Q: Is the Soundlazer VR really any different than other speakers on the market?

A: Absolutely! This directional speaker system is the result of over three years of research and development that started right here on Kickstarter. People have been looking for a way to experience high quality audio without headphones and we think we now have the best solution.

Q: Can I use these in my home?

A: Soundlazer VR would be a great way for people to enjoy TV or play video games without disturbing neighbors or others in the house.

Q: What are the uses for Soundlazer VR?

A: We designed the VR for both public areas and personal spaces. It's up to you how to use it. Soundlazer VR would be great for your office desk but is equally good for advertisers in shopping malls or trade show displays. The Soundlazer VR is designed to sound and look great in any environment.

Q: What happens when I turn the Soundlazer VR up too loud?

A: The key to not disturbing others and enjoying the best personal sound experience is to find an audio level that you can enjoy. If you turn the volume up too loud, other will begin to hear more of the audio playing. It really isn't necessary to listen to the Soundlazer VR at a high volume. Just a soft, low volume is perfect for a great listening experience.

Q: How does this really work?

A: There are some new and proprietary designs built into the Soundlazer VR that we really can't explain. It took me three years to figure all this out so all I can say is: I hope you enjoy the the results of my hard work.

Q: Can I use the Soundlazer VR outdoors?

A: Simply by accident, the acrylic dome makes a natural umbrella and it work great on an outdoor patio or any other outdoor space. Remember, the power adapter is 120VAC/240VAC so be sure to keep the AC adapter indoors. The DC output wires are completely safe to run outside.

Please join me and all the previous Soundlazer backers on a new and exciting journey

I honestly think this is my best project and invention to date. I hope you will join me in backing this project so I can deliver you an amazing listening experience at your desk, in your home or any other place you need a directional audio source that immerses you in a cloud of sound.

What's included with each Soundlazer VR:

Soundlazer VR speaker enclosure with bluetooth receiver.

Linear parabolic reflector.

Full size and compact units include adjustable powered hanging cables with hooks.

Soundlazer Junior includes a desktop / wall hanging stand.

Universal 120/240VAC power supply.

SOUNDLAZER PROJECT

By now, you are probably familiar with the Soundlazer product line that got its start right here on Kickstarter. It all started with our first model, the Soundlazer SL-01 and continues with this new and exciting project. It's backers like you that make this technology possible.

If you like my ideas and want to be a part of them, back this project now and I will be able to continue bringing the Kickstarter community cool inventions.

Risks and challenges

This project is my eighth here on Kickstarter. All backer rewards have shipped as promised on projects that were successfully funded. While there are risks when backing products or ideas that don't exist yet, we have already built fully functional prototypes and simply need to manufacture the rewards once the goal is successfully reached.

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Pledge $169 or more
About $169

VR JUNIOR - INCREDIBLE BACKER KICKOFF SPECIAL - Yes, you are reading it right. Because I plan on making my eighth Kickstarter project an amazing success, I am offering the first ten (10) Soundlazer VR Juniors at a very low price. Get the desktop VR Junior at a giveaway kickoff price. Includes Soundlazer desktop/wall mounted Junior with built in bluetooth amplifier, transparent linear reflector and power supply.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $199 or more
About $199

VR JUNIOR - VERY EARLY BACKER REWARD - Get the Soundlazer VR desktop/wall mounted Junior at a low pre-release price. Includes Soundlazer Junior with built in bluetooth amplifier, transparent linear reflector and power supply.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $209 or more
About $209

VR FULL SIZE - INCREDIBLE BACKER KICKOFF SPECIAL - This is my favorite version of the VR. Yes, you are reading it right. Because I plan on making my eighth Kickstarter project an amazing success, I am offering the first ten full size (10) Soundlazer VRs at a very low price. Get the 24" (61 cm) Soundlazer VR (full size) at a giveaway kickoff price. Includes 24" (61 cm) Soundlazer VR with built in bluetooth amplifier, transparent linear reflector, adjustable length hanging cables and power supply.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $239 or more
About $239

VR FULL SIZE - VERY EARLY BACKER REWARD - This is my favorite version of the VR. Get the 24" (61 cm) Soundlazer VR (full size) at a low pre-release price. Includes Soundlazer VR with built in bluetooth amplifier, transparent linear reflector, adjustable length hanging cables and power supply.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $259 or more
About $259

VR COMPACT- KICKSTARTER SPECIAL - This is my second favorite version of the VR. It is just a little shorter than the full size unit to save some space. Get the 18" (46 cm) Soundlazer VR (compact) at a very low pre-release price. Includes Soundlazer VR with built in bluetooth amplifier, transparent linear reflector, adjustable length hanging cables and power supply.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $269 or more
About $269

VR FULL SIZE - KICKSTARTER SPECIAL - This is my favorite version of the VR. Get the 24" (61 cm) Soundlazer VR (full size) at a very low pre-release price. Includes Soundlazer VR with built in bluetooth amplifier, transparent linear reflector, adjustable length hanging cables and power supply.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $350 or more
About $350

VR JUNIOR TWO PACK - Get two (2) Soundlazer VR desktop/wall mounted Juniors at a low pre-release price. Includes two (2) Soundlazer Juniors with built in bluetooth amplifiers, two (2) transparent linear reflectors and two (2) power supply.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $399 or more
About $399

SOUNDLAZER VARIETY PACK (early backer) - Not sure which one to buy? Get both the VR Full Size and the Junior at a reduced early backer price. Includes Soundlazer VR with built in bluetooth amplifier, Soundlazer Junior with bluetooth amplifier, transparent linear reflectors, adjustable length hanging cables (for full size unit) and power supplies.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $439 or more
About $439

SOUNDLAZER VARIETY PACK - Not sure which one to buy? Get both the VR Full Size and the Junior for one low price. Includes Soundlazer VR with built in bluetooth amplifier, Soundlazer Junior with bluetooth amplifier, transparent linear reflectors, adjustable length hanging cables (for full size unit) and power supplies.

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $500 or more
About $500

VR FULL SIZE TWO PACK - Get two (2) 24" (61 cm) Soundlazer VRs (full size) at a very low pre-release price. Includes two (2) stereo Soundlazer VRs with built in bluetooth amplifiers, transparent linear reflectors, adjustable length hanging cables and power supplies

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,375 or more
About $1,375

VR FULL SIZE - OFFICE SIX PACK PACK - Get six (6) 24" (61 cm) Soundlazer VRs (full size) at a very low pre-release price. Includes six (6) stereo Soundlazer VRs with built in bluetooth amplifiers, transparent linear reflectors, adjustable length hanging cables and power supplies. Use them above desks in the office, at trade shows and in the lobby over your TV monitors. The uses are only limited by your imagination.